


I Wish

by abbysojee



Category: The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Gen, M/M, So no romance yet, The Merry Thieves - Freeform, They're like twelve years old, Thomstairs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:42:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27213607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abbysojee/pseuds/abbysojee
Summary: When he got to the clearing, however, there was already someone there: Alastair Carstairs, by himself as he always seemed to be. Thomas paid particular attention to Alastair. Why, he didn’t know. He had certainly not escaped Alastair’s mocking, though he caught the lighter end of it. The other boy liked to make fun of James for his (previous) social undesirability, but Alastair seemed friendless too.He looked up at Thomas, schooling his face into displeasure. “What do you want, Lightwood?”
Relationships: Alastair Carstairs & Thomas Lightwood, Alastair Carstairs/Thomas Lightwood, Future Alastair Carstairs/Thomas Lightwood
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	I Wish

Before Thomas had left for camp, his father Gideon had pulled him aside to tell him about August’s many meteor showers. “On a clear night, you can make out the Milky Way. It’s absolutely beautiful,” he said. “If you get a chance, you should see it. Looking into the face of the universe makes it hard to worry.” Thomas thought this rich coming from his father, who worried constantly, but he was no better. It must have been an inherited trait.

Christopher, occupied by some experiment or other, had assured Thomas he would sneak out to see the stars with him another day. Thomas knew without a doubt this was so perfect a night, it would never be repeated. There was no moon to compete with the stars, and the night was brisk and cloudless. So, as the last days of camp drew to a close, he set out alone for a clearing he had spotted while on a hike. It was close enough to camp to be reassuring, but far enough away to minimize light exposure.

When he got to the clearing, however, there was already someone there: Alastair Carstairs, by himself as he always seemed to be. Thomas paid particular attention to Alastair. Why, he didn’t know. He had certainly not escaped Alastair’s mocking, though he caught the lighter end of it. The other boy liked to make fun of James for his (previous) social undesirability, but Alastair seemed friendless too.

He looked up at Thomas, schooling his face into displeasure. “What do you want, Lightwood?”

Irritation rose within Thomas, which he quickly tried to quash. His mother would be disappointed if he gave into anger. At least Alastair had not called him _Lightworm,_ the latest insult his cronies had come up with. Christopher had been confused when Thomas told him about it - what was so insulting about being associated with worms? He thought they were cool. But Thomas knew the truth: worms were small, weak, and easily crushed. Like him. 

“My father told me I should check out the meteor showers before I leave,” said Thomas simply. He crossed over the clearing and unfurled his blanket a few feet from Alastair. 

“What are you doing?” the other boy asked. At Thomas’s glare, he replied, “Well, why must you be so close to me?”

“You don’t own the clearing, Alastair. If I really bother you that much, you can leave.” Thomas smiled victoriously when Alastair said nothing, content he had won. He lay down on the blanket to better absorb the sky. Though it was very beautiful, Thomas was hyperaware of Alastair laying a few feet away from him on the cool ground. He had not thought to bring himself a blanket and was shivering. His arms were locked over his chest to still himself, but Thomas was very observant. 

He sighed, a long, drawn-out breath escaping through his nostrils. He knew what his mother would do if she was here. He couldn’t, in good conscience, ignore Alastair. “I have room on the blanket,” he offered. “If you want to get off the ground.”

Alastair remained quiet for a few moments. Finally, he sat up and scooted over, lowering himself onto the blanket. It was comfortable but not very large. They would have been shoulder-to-shoulder had both boys not stretched to the corners, as far away from each other as possible. “Thank you,” said Alastair.

Thomas turned to look at the sky, smiling faintly. The stars were incomparable; he had never seen so many. They were always depicted as tiny white dots, static and cold. Looking at them, Thomas thought that description was wrong. The stars were flashes of pale pink, light green, and yellow. They twinkled as if laughing down at him. He could make out the Milky Way, a rift of shadows creasing the night sky, letting him know a whole universe was out there.

Thomas’s father really had been right. As he stared into the friendly sky, all of his worries drifted away. Alastair, beside him, was not an antagonist, a bully. He was a witness to the same beauty Thomas saw. No one else would ever share this moment with him, this brief flash in time, and that realization felt important. Alastair must have felt the same, as he gasped and pointed. “I just saw a meteor!”

“Really?” Thomas searched the sky. “You know what that means, right? You have to make a wish!”

“A wish?” echoed Alastair, so uncertainly Thomas couldn’t help but look over at him. He had his eyes closed, long eyelashes brushing his cheeks. His face was smooth, relaxed, and entirely unfamiliar. Behind his eyelids, Thomas could make out movement. He wondered what Alastair was wishing for. 

_I wish…_ Thomas thought wistfully, looking at Alastair, before stopping himself. He hadn’t seen the shooting star; this wasn’t his wish. Besides, he didn't know what he wanted. He turned back to the sky.

That night, Alastair caught four shooting stars. Thomas only saw two. Alastair chuckled as Thomas missed them. His laughter was easy and strange - entirely unlike the boy Thomas knew. It sounded like soft thunder rolling in the distance before the rain began.

On his first star, Thomas wished to become healthier. If he wasn’t as sick anymore, his parents, Barb, and Genie wouldn’t worry about him so much. Maybe the boys at camp would stop calling him Lightworm _._ He made his second wish glancing at Alastair Carstairs’s upturned face. Twin pinpricks of starlight shone in his eyes. _I wish,_ thought Thomas before he could stop himself, _that I could have another night like this one._

He felt almost instantly guilty. What kind of wish was that? He could have asked for world peace, or an end to homelessness, or any number of unselfish things. It was no use. The words were already gone, curling above his pursed lips, lingering in the night air. 

**Author's Note:**

> Oh Thomas, your wish is my command.
> 
> This scene is part of a larger story I'm working on - the TLH gang at camp! It follows our characters through five summers of misadventure. Unfortunately, it's difficult to keep up with even my regular life at the moment (thanks pandemic), so writing has been a struggle. I decided to post this scene early to help fill in the Thomstairs void and see if I become motivated now that I've said I'm doing this. Kudos and comments are appreciated! Let me know if there's any summer camp tropes or Shadowhunter characters you'd like to see in the story, or if you'd be interested in reading the larger work. 
> 
> Stay safe, stay sane, and remember to vote if you can!


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